Denis Defibaugh specializes in exploring and photographing world cultures. He travels to photograph, photographs to travel and is available for travel.

Denis is an accomplished photographer, as evidenced by his participation in over 25 solo exhibitions in galleries, museums, and cultural centers. He is currently working on photography projects in Cuba, Croatia, Mexico, and Zion National Park that explore the culture and history of those regions. His documentary and travel photographs earned a Fulbright-Hays Travel/Study Grant to Mexico. TCU Press published his first book, The Day of the Dead, Dia de los Muertos in Fall 2007. His work Family Ties do not Die, The Day of the Dead in Oaxaca, Mexico has produced three exhibitions in Texas and numerous shows in San Francisco, Miami, Rochester, Buffalo, and Montana.

all work and images copyright Denis Defibaugh 2010, all rights reserved.

Beech Hill Farm
Mount Desert, Maine
2006-2009
Mt Desert Island is the rugged site where granite meets ocean in Acadia National Park. I have photographed this area for many years, but didn't discover Beech Hill Farm until four years ago. Located just outside the borders of the park, Beech Hill Farm is home of some of the most beautiful and tasty organic produce in Maine.
What separates this 73 acre farm from your ordinary organic farm are the women that manage and work the farm from 6:00am to 8:00pm most everyday. They are committed to the environmental sustainability and the health of the land. Most of the managers and staff of the farm come from all over the United States and the Americas, and are primarily students or alumni of the College of the Atlantic.
Candelaria
Tlacotalpan, Mexico
2009-2010
This festival began in the early 15th century when monks from the San Juan de Dios order celebrated the conversion of the Indigenous inhabitants to Christianity by replacing their prehispanic Fertility Deity with the Candelaria Virgin.
The Candelaria has evolved into a multi level event that begins with a daylong procession of religious leaders, traditional costumes, carnival costumes, children in handmade costumes, equestrians, and fandango dancers. The five-day event has become an international music festival that culminates with the controversial running of the bulls. There are a variety of activities throughout the week including: the El Paseo de la Virgen de la Candelaria all day religious procession (on land and river), a fair, regatta of riverboats, carnival, food markets, rodeo, cockfights, Mojiganga procession of giant figures, and the ongoing roots of Mexican music performances called Son Jarocho.
Hotel Belvedere
Dubrovnik, Croatia
2007
During the 1980's when the former Yugoslavia was thriving, the Hotel de luxe Belvedere was built outside of the medieval city of Dubrovnik. This posh tourist resort was the gem of the Adriatic.
The hotel contained over 200 rooms, eight restaurants and several nightclubs. The Belvedere's stair step design cascaded 17 stories down the steep cliffs along the sea. Damaged in 1991 from a naval bombardment during the Bosnian War, the hotel sits in decay. Except for a small ship building operation that takes place in the former hotel lobby and the teenage kids that sneak into the rooms to party at night, the Belvedere sits abandoned and empty.
The Cable Works
Dubrovnik, Croatia
2007
Dubrovnik is named after the hillside of oak trees that once overlooked the city during its inception. This once great forest grew on the side of Mt Srd a 400-meter high limestone mountain that overlooks Dubrovnik and the Adriatic Sea.
The French built Fort Imperial and the funicular cable works restaurant are the only structures built on the mountain top that provides breathtaking views of the city, sea and Dalmatian islands. During the Bosnian War, the cable works became a favorite bombing target of the Serbian Army, and Fort Imperial became the last bastion of freedom for the city of Dubrovnik. Though both were heavily damaged during the siege of Dubrovnik they still stand as a memorial to the insane nature of war.
The Day of the Dead: Dia de los Muertos
Oaxaca, Mexico
1997-2003
Six AM in the morning, Ward, Pedro and I are visiting with Narciso Hernandez Luis in Mitla, the city of the dead. We eat pan de muertos and drink hot chocolate while Narciso describes meeting his departed brother at the family offerenda on All Souls Day. As Narciso spoke I noticed the morning sunlight illuminate the doorway to Narciso's home. In homage to his brother I asked Narciso to stand in the passageway so I could take his picture in that ethereal light. This portrait began an ongoing collaboration to document the people and events of Oaxaca's Day of the Dead.
The Day of the Dead: Dia de los Muertos book was published in 2007 by the TCU Press of Texas A&M. The book contains over 90 photographs of the Day of the Dead celebration.
Denis Defibaugh Biography
Denis Defibaugh specializes in exploring and photographing world cultures. He travels to photograph, photographs to travel and is available for travel.
Denis is an accomplished photographer, as evidenced by his participation in over 25 solo exhibitions in galleries, museums, and cultural centers. He is currently working on photography projects in Cuba, Croatia, Mexico, and Zion National Park that explore the culture and history of those regions. His documentary and travel photographs earned a Fulbright-Hays Travel/Study Grant to Mexico. TCU Press published his first book, The Day of the Dead, Dia de los Muertos in Fall 2007. His work Family Ties do not Die, The Day of the Dead in Oaxaca, Mexico has produced three exhibitions in Texas and numerous shows in San Francisco, Miami, Rochester, Buffalo, and Montana.
Denis Defibaugh is a tenured professor at Rochester Institute of Technology where he has been teaching since 1987 and academic chair of the Advertising Photography Program from 1997-2005. In addition, Professor Defibaugh has lead annual courses to Cuba, Mexico, Croatia, Brazil, Zion National Park, and New York City. Prior to joining the faculty at RIT, Denis was an assistant professor at Texas A&M University, Commerce, and at Colorado Mountain College.
Beyond teaching at RIT, and lecturing internationally, he has presented workshops for Yellowstone National Park, Zion National Park, Casper College of Wyoming, Florida A&M University, SPEOS: Paris, RIT's T&E Photography Workshops, and personally coordinated workshops in Cuba; Oaxaca, Mexico; Surabaya, Indonesia; and Seoul, Korea.
He has been widely published and produced advertising and editorial images for such clients as UNICEF, National Park Service, Coca-Cola, Polaroid, Delta Airlines, MacGregor Golf, Taylor Wines, Eastman Kodak, and American Express.
Please see Denis' resume for a list of selected exhibitions, lectures, and publications.
All photographs are available for publication or purchase.